


I Get Weak

by blakefancier



Series: A Perfect World [3]
Category: Captain America (2011)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-08-13
Updated: 2011-08-13
Packaged: 2017-10-22 13:55:32
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,715
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/238761
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/blakefancier/pseuds/blakefancier
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Howard has a slight breakdown and they both discover a new kink.</p>
            </blockquote>





	I Get Weak

Howard hates Obadiah Stane.

They had a plan, he and Steve, they were going to fly back to New York together. He was going to fly them back. But a phone call home ruined those plans. Damn Obadiah for deciding that *this* was the time to try to take over Stark Industries.

He apologized and promised to make it up to Steve, who only smiled and said they’d see each other in few days.

He promised to pick Steve up at the airstrip.

That’s why Howard is standing here now, in the blazing sun, when he should be back at the office putting out about a hundred little fires.

Howard’s stomach does a little flip-flop as Steve, in his service uniform and bags in hand, walks across the tarmac.

Steve smiles and gives an awkward wave.

He bounces on his toes and resists the urge to run over and hug Steve. That’s a reunion for other people and Howard tells himself that he’s not bitter about it. He takes a few steps to close the distance between them and swallows all the things he wants to say.

“Nice flight?”

Steve’s smile turns shy. “No one tried shootin’ me down.”

“So it was your best flight yet! I’ll take you up myself one of these weekends and show you some real flying.” Just the two of them up in his plane; he’s already enamored of the idea.

"I'd like that."

They walk slowly to the car, where Steve puts his bags in the back, and gets in. Neither of them says much of anything for a while. Steve stares out the window and watches the scenery.

The silence is unnerving.

"Tired?" he asks, finally, and Steve shrugs.

"Yes. No. Not really." He looks over at Howard. "How are things at the office?"

"Well, you'll be happy to hear that I still have a business. But it'll be late nights at the office for awhile."

"You didn't have to pick me up if you were so busy, Howard. I could have caught a ride with someone."

"Don't be ridiculous. I can take a couple of hours out of my day to pick up my… my favorite guy. " And he could use the break. Despite being good at it, he actually hates the business part of Stark Industries. "Besides, I want to show you around our place."

"*Our* place?"

Howard glances over just in time to see a look of disquiet flitter across Steve's face. He knows what that look means, he's seen it more than a dozen times in the past few days. "Don't," he says, trying to head off another argument. "When you're settled and have a job, we'll talk about how we'll split the finances."

Steve snorts.

He reaches over and touches Steve's knee. "You know I'd be happy to take care of you."

"And you know I wouldn't. "

He does and it frustrates him to no end. "I could—"

"I'm not working for you." Steve's tone is clipped.

Howard takes a deep breath and lets it out slowly. All right, time for a change of topic. "Did you want to eat out tonight or would you rather stay in." He hasn’t found time to hire staff, but he's sure that between the two of them, they can manage something edible.

"I'd rather stay in."

"Okay."

The silence is strained and Howard gropes for something to say that will ease the tension.

"I imagined blowing you in front of my board of directors. It was the only way to keep from dying of boredom in staff meetings."

Steve shakes his head and struggles to keep from smiling. "You're a jerk."

"What did I do now?"

"I'm annoyed with you, Howard. I don't want to hear about your disgusting fantasies."

He smiles. "You love my disgusting fantasies. You love me."

And just like that, the tension is back. God, he doesn't know when keep his trap shut. They've never said it, not once, and now he just blurts it out.

He opens his mouth to make a joke, when Steve says, "Yeah, I do. "

"Yeah?" Howard swallows hard. "Well, me, too."

Steve clears his throat and looks out the window again. Howard can't stop smiling.

*****

"Well, what do you think so far?" he asks as they make their way through the first floor of the townhouse.

Steve looks thoughtful for a moment, then gives a careless shrug. "It's all right."

"All right?! Wha—"

Then Steve laughs softly and gently bumps Howard's shoulder with his. "Geez, Howard, you really don't do things by half."

"Why should I?" he says, strangely relieved. He takes Steve's hand. "The bedrooms are on the second floor."

"What are we waiting for?"

Howard leads him upstairs. "You'll have to pick a spare room for yourself. Any one you want."

"What are we going to tell people?" Steve squeezes his hand.

"You're a friend I met during the war. I have the space so I'm helping you get on your feet."

Steve looks thoughtful. "That story will only hold up for so long."

"Just long enough for people to get used to you here. Let me show you our bedroom."

Steve's smiles; it's the playful one that Howard likes so much. He pulls Steve into the bedroom, but instead of the kiss he expects, Steve pulls away and leans back on the bed, his legs spread wide.

Howard's mouth goes dry.

"Nice." Steve sits up on his elbows. "Take off your jacket and your vest, Mr. Stark."

He opens his mouth to tell Steve that they can't. He has to be back at the office soon.

"Nice and slow." Steve blushes, but his voice doesn't waver at all. "I'm not going to tell you again."

Howard's hands shake as he does what Steve tells him. He lays his clothes on the bed and presents himself.

Steve looks at his crotch, at his obvious arousal, and smiles. "You like this, Mr. Stark. You like me."

He nods.

"What do you like about me?"

"Everything," he whispers.

Steve gazes at him, hungry. "Touch yourself. Rub yourself." When he goes to open his fly, Steve shakes his head. "No! Through your clothes."

Howard moans and rubs the heel of his hand against his erection.

"It's been so long for you, hasn't it?" Steve is breathing hard and his mouth is open, as if he wants to take Howard into him.

"Yes." And it has been. It's only been a few weeks for Steve, but for him it's been… longer than he wants to think about. For some reason, tears prickle in his eyes and his breath hitches in his throat.

"How long?"

Howard shakes his head. He can't-- he can't do this. He stops rubbing himself and turns away.

"Howard? What's wrong?" Steve jumps off the bed and lays a hand on his shoulder.

"It's been a long few weeks." He laughs and rubs his eyes. "It's been a long year."

"I know." Steve rubs his back.

"No, you don't. You don't know because you were dead!" Howard jerks away. "You were dead."

"But I wasn't, Howard. And I'm here."

"You think that matters? Steve, I mourned you. Peggy… Peggy came to me and told me…" He swallows hard and closes his eyes. He can see it, he remembers. "You died a hero. Phillips gave me your personal effects. And I couldn't… I wanted to fall apart and I couldn't. I couldn't because no one could know. No one could know that Captain America was a goddamn fairy!"

"I'm sorry," Steve whispers.

"You promised. You promised that you wouldn't let anyone hurt me. You hurt me." God, God, he can't breathe. Steve holds him tight and he sill remember what it felt like to mourn. "You hurt me and then my dad hit me and all I could think what that you were supposed to take care of me!"

He presses his face against Steve's chest; he wishes he would just shut up. He doesn't know why he's saying this, why it even matters.

"I'm sorry, I hurt you. I'm sorry that I wasn't here, that I broke my promise." Steve sounds so broken up about it and Howard knows it's not fair because Steve was dead. He was dead.

"You can't leave me again, Steve. You can't. I can't do it again. "

"Okay, okay. I won't, I promise, I won't." Steve lifts Howard's chin and kisses him. "He hit you?"

Howard nods. He doesn’t know why that's such an important point, but it is.

"Where?" Steve gently wipes the wetness from Howard's face with his handkerchief.

"Across the mouth."

"Here?" He kisses the corner of Howard's mouth.

Howard nods. "He split my lip, too."

Steve licks his mouth. "If he ever hits you again, I'll break his arms."

He shudders at that thought, strangely pleased. Steve pushes him back, until he's lying on the bed, then Steve stretches out next to him.

"I won't be like them, Howard. I won't let anyone hurt you. I'll protect you." Steve's voice is soft and Howard feels warm all over.

"Promise," he whispers, kissing Steve.

"I promise. I'll always protect you, take care of you, like they should have." Steve runs a possessive hand down Howard's body and rubs him through his pants.

Howard moans and arches up against his palm. "Please. Take care of me. That's what I want, that's... please!"

Steve rubs faster and kisses him hard until he's writhing. "I'll always take care of you. Always. You're mine. You're... my boy."

Howard gives a choked cry as those two words send pleasure spiking through him. Steve squeezes him and that's it, that's enough to send him over the edge.

When all that's left is the echo of pleasure, he turns and buries his face against Steve's chest.

"Are you all right?" Steve strokes his back and kisses the top of his head. It's a familiar gesture, a familial gesture, and he knows that he shouldn't want this. Steve is already too much to him. But he does, because he feels safe, truly safe, for the first time in his life. And it's not as if Steve isn't... Steve is everything.

"Yes, sir," he says softly, because he can't quite say what he wants, not yet.


End file.
